Sunday, December 5, 2010

Ghost Pepper – World’s Hottest Chili Pepper

We can't stress enough that eating a ghost pepper or even a small piece of a ghost pepper can be dangerous. Depending on your experience with hot and spicy food you might even need to have your stomach pumped. The ghost pepper is painful, long-lasting, and unlike anything you've tried before.

Since the media hyped the existence of ghost peppers, a lot of people grew curious about its taste, effect and usage in home cooking. For those of you who are not aware of ghost peppers, they are the hottest chilis on Earth hailing from the rural regions of India. They are over 5-10 times as hot as the habanero with the Scoville unit count of over a million. With its heavily powerful spiciness, are we ready to place ghost peppers in our spice racks as a daily cooking aid?

Despite of its notorious heat, ghost peppers are widely used in restaurants and by chili lovers worldwide. In the western market, fresh ghost pepper pods are hard, if not impossible to find, that’s why consumers are opting to purchase their pods online or from a local grower. Those who have handled ghost peppers before are aware of its effects on the skin, that’s why anyone who wishes to cook with these peppers is required to wear protective gloves as a precaution. Ghost peppers are used mainly in recipes with heavy usage of sauce in it, like Buffalo hot wings or in stews. Other culinary daredevils infuse ghost peppers in cheeses and other dairy products—a combination that makes sense since dairy products are very effective in cooling down the hotness in the mouth. Some food radicals even try making ice cream with ghost peppers in it, and alcoholic drinks to mimic the spicy cocktail effect of existing ones such as the Cabo Wabo Tequila and the Habanero Martini. Since ghost peppers are far too spicy for anyone to ingest, it might still not be a mainstay in our usual ingredient palette. However, beneath the intense heat, ghost peppers are said to be extremely tasty and well-refined, that’s why curious minds still go for it. The trick is to hydrate the peppers before doing anything with them; it preserves the genuine flavor under the spiciness.

Those who have tried ghost peppers say that the feeling is similar to ingesting pepper spray and scorching volcanic rocks, some say that once a ghost pepper lies on the tongue, a mushrooming cloud of pressure will try to escape the head through the scalp because of so much heat. With all of these descriptions and effects, it is safe to say that ghost peppers will remain a variety that will only be devoured by brave souls and fearless eaters.

We can't stress enough that eating a ghost pepper or even a small piece of a ghost pepper can be dangerous. Depending on your experience with hot and spicy food you might even need to have your stomach pumped. The ghost pepper is painful, long-lasting, and unlike anything you've tried before.

Since the media hyped the existence of ghost peppers, a lot of people grew curious about its taste, effect and usage in home cooking. For those of you who are not aware of ghost peppers, they are the hottest chilis on Earth hailing from the rural regions of India. They are over 5-10 times as hot as the habanero with the Scoville unit count of over a million. With its heavily powerful spiciness, are we ready to place ghost peppers in our spice racks as a daily cooking aid?

Despite of its notorious heat, ghost peppers are widely used in restaurants and by chili lovers worldwide. In the western market, fresh ghost pepper pods are hard, if not impossible to find, that’s why consumers are opting to purchase their pods online or from a local grower. Those who have handled ghost peppers before are aware of its effects on the skin, that’s why anyone who wishes to cook with these peppers is required to wear protective gloves as a precaution. Ghost peppers are used mainly in recipes with heavy usage of sauce in it, like Buffalo hot wings or in stews. Other culinary daredevils infuse ghost peppers in cheeses and other dairy products—a combination that makes sense since dairy products are very effective in cooling down the hotness in the mouth. Some food radicals even try making ice cream with ghost peppers in it, and alcoholic drinks to mimic the spicy cocktail effect of existing ones such as the Cabo Wabo Tequila and the Habanero Martini. Since ghost peppers are far too spicy for anyone to ingest, it might still not be a mainstay in our usual ingredient palette. However, beneath the intense heat, ghost peppers are said to be extremely tasty and well-refined, that’s why curious minds still go for it. The trick is to hydrate the peppers before doing anything with them; it preserves the genuine flavor under the spiciness.

Those who have tried ghost peppers say that the feeling is similar to ingesting pepper spray and scorching volcanic rocks, some say that once a ghost pepper lies on the tongue, a mushrooming cloud of pressure will try to escape the head through the scalp because of so much heat. With all of these descriptions and effects, it is safe to say that ghost peppers will remain a variety that will only be devoured by brave souls and fearless eaters.

We can't stress enough that eating a ghost pepper or even a small piece of a ghost pepper can be dangerous. Depending on your experience with hot and spicy food you might even need to have your stomach pumped. The ghost pepper is painful, long-lasting, and unlike anything you've tried before.

Since the media hyped the existence of ghost peppers, a lot of people grew curious about its taste, effect and usage in home cooking. For those of you who are not aware of ghost peppers, they are the hottest chilis on Earth hailing from the rural regions of India. They are over 5-10 times as hot as the habanero with the Scoville unit count of over a million. With its heavily powerful spiciness, are we ready to place ghost peppers in our spice racks as a daily cooking aid?

Despite of its notorious heat, ghost peppers are widely used in restaurants and by chili lovers worldwide. In the western market, fresh ghost pepper pods are hard, if not impossible to find, that’s why consumers are opting to purchase their pods online or from a local grower. Those who have handled ghost peppers before are aware of its effects on the skin, that’s why anyone who wishes to cook with these peppers is required to wear protective gloves as a precaution. Ghost peppers are used mainly in recipes with heavy usage of sauce in it, like Buffalo hot wings or in stews. Other culinary daredevils infuse ghost peppers in cheeses and other dairy products—a combination that makes sense since dairy products are very effective in cooling down the hotness in the mouth. Some food radicals even try making ice cream with ghost peppers in it, and alcoholic drinks to mimic the spicy cocktail effect of existing ones such as the Cabo Wabo Tequila and the Habanero Martini. Since ghost peppers are far too spicy for anyone to ingest, it might still not be a mainstay in our usual ingredient palette. However, beneath the intense heat, ghost peppers are said to be extremely tasty and well-refined, that’s why curious minds still go for it. The trick is to hydrate the peppers before doing anything with them; it preserves the genuine flavor under the spiciness.

Those who have tried ghost peppers say that the feeling is similar to ingesting pepper spray and scorching volcanic rocks, some say that once a ghost pepper lies on the tongue, a mushrooming cloud of pressure will try to escape the head through the scalp because of so much heat. With all of these descriptions and effects, it is safe to say that ghost peppers will remain a variety that will only be devoured by brave souls and fearless eaters.